Spa 21/3/16

[BigD]

I knew you'd be along to correct me. Interesting though.

I'm never very good at explaining the feel or remembering exactly what I did. I've had exactly that chat with Ali about the speed at which you come off the brake, faster off = faster spin.

So let me try to explain better.

Front end grip was not an issue as the car didn't understeer so I was wanting to be more off the brakes so that the rear didn't break loose which was maybe the wrong thought process then? I would rather have been completely off the brakes before turning in as even if that meant some understeer it would''ve been much safer, i.e. I would just have run wide, I think.

I was definitely still slightly on the brakes as I turned in and I didn't come straight off them as I was still trying to kill speed and not wanting to upset the car, then the rear broke loose anyway (very gently and very controllably which was easily caught with some opposite lock and then just run wide). So what you're saying is potentially more brakes would've given more understeer and less oversteer?

Need some telemetry to figure out when I actually came off the brakes completely.

Anyway it was good fun and more testing will be done on all these theories.

[mckeann]

Yep. A little bit of brake transfers weight to the front, loads up the tyres and gives more grip at the front and makes the car turn better/tighter. To do this it must reduce weight at the rear and give less grip there.

If you push harder on the brakes you overload the tyres a little, which is fine if you know that's what's going to happen and it's only when you come off the brake quickly that you get the snap into oversteer

[robin]

What the ape man is trying to say, I think, is that you could have hit the brake pedal harder and locked the front wheels up (or at least overloaded them); then the car would definitely understeer and thus not spin; the challenge then is making sure you have the right amount of steering lock on so that when you unblock the fronts they don't immediately throw you into a spin. You can mitigate this (if you're insane) by pressing the accelerator - this converts you from brake induced understeer to throttle induced understeer; now coming off the brakes is less likely to make the car spin (though you are still heading the wrong way); now come off the throttle and the car will settle back into turning (through the undergrowth ).

The other challenge here is that while the brakes are on the suspension remains compressed and when you release the brakes the suspension will adjust to whatever the appropriate angle is; if you jump off the brakes, this adjustment will happen more quickly than if you roll off the brakes; you probably want to limit the rate of change, though maybe less of an issue at wet weather track speeds.

Personally I think what you did (having seen the video) was OK

[BigD]

Yeh that all sounds very complicated and not sure if have the time, roughness or skill to do all that.

[mckeann]

Basically, little bit of brake can cause oversteer, lots of brake causes understeer. When you come off the brakes (when trailing into a corner) you need to do it slowly so you don't go from understeer into oversteer. Simples

[BigD]

Agree that is much simpler.

[IanD]

On the 968 forum, write up from Chris owner of a yellow 968 Club Sport (ex-owner of an Elise) at Spa Monday mentions talking to Robin and him taking a picture of his car to send to his mate and show him up, the Robin then ?

[pete]

On the 968 forum, write up from Chris owner of a yellow 968 Club Sport (ex-owner of an Elise) at Spa Monday mentions talking to Robin and him taking a picture of his car to send to his mate and show him up, the Robin then ?

Smart looking car he had!

[Ferg]

So, now you're tv stars, what's next?

http://www.tf1.fr/tf1/auto-moto/videos/ ... lotus.html

Jump to 8 mins

[BigD]

Haha brilliant. Wee section with the nice car at the end. They obviously like the stripes.

[Stu160]

Haha brilliant. Wee section with the nice car at the end. They obviously like the stripes.

Thet are a nice colour

Stu

[C7Steve]

Can anyone translate?


Steve.

[Ferg]

Can anyone translate?


Steve.

I thought Pete's French was pretty good...

[pete]

I am DEFINITELY getting the Top Gear gig after that.

Definitely.

I think I basically say "We'll be driving one back and then that one will probably be going back on a trailer"

[pete]

Des it just stop at 08.27 for anyone else?